Thinking about picking one of these up for a cheapish  22 plinker. I’ve heard that they are pretty easy to convert to .22 and would be cheaper than buying an AR. I don’t really care about shooting it in 223 since I already have an HK sear with an HK 53 clone.

Finicky with .22 subcal devices.  .22 mags very expensive.  Barrel leads up quickly.  


18Z50

I had a Ciener conversion for mine and it was not too reliable. It could have been ammo related, never ran well enough to figure out.

If you want cheap full auto  .22lr, look into the M11/NINE. Smaller lighter package with 1/16 twist barrel incert. Lage kits have been discounted, but 40 round Black Dog magazines are available. There are plenty of Lage kits but will be around $1,000.00.

Scott

I personally wouldn't get an AC556 just to try and turn it into a 22lr machinegun.

I have had an AC for 15+ years and also have the Ceiner conversion kit for it and its really not the best.

Reliability was spotty
The ROF was insane, probably 1800+ rpm.
You will also lead up the gas port/gas plug and the barrel making it potentially an issue if it was to ever be brought back to shoot 5.56 without a really though cleaning.


As others have mentioned if you want a full size machinegun to basically convert an M11 and a Lage conversion kit is probably the best option.  These kits just seem to run really pretty well in my experience.

If you want to spend more money, that get a Norrell pattern 10/22 as those are the most reliable 22lr machineguns I have ever shot.

You already have a cheapish 22 plinker.  If you have an hk sear, get a knockoff 91 and the G3 22 conversion kit.  It appears HK parts still has some kits https://hkparts.net/product/hk-german-g3-22-caliber-conversion-kit-p1147.htm/ .  I bought one years ago when they first came in and they are pretty slick.  They are very well made.

Other than that the AC should be your last choice for a 22 machinegun.  Ciener was the only maker for the 22 kits and as others have said, they are spotty in quality.  

If you don't want to go the hk route, start with a dedicated 22 machinegun.  Your typically encountered choices will be (in order of price from high to low) the Norrell/S&H 10/22, the American 180, and the Voere.  The Norell while the best choice is the most expensive.  The American 180 can be finicky and is pretty fast.  The Voeres are pretty reliable but I believe the biggest mag is 15 rounds.

As far as nondedicated guns excluding the M-16, your best choice at this time is the Uzi.  22 kits for the Uzi are still in production and with tuning can be very reliable.  I own one and from a clean gun I can shoot 3-500 rounds with nearly 100% reliability.  As the gun gets dirty, reliability decreases ass is the case with any other 22 machinegun.  The M11/9 is also a good choice but the kits are not in production and Richard Lage has said unequivocally that he will not be resuming manufacturing.

I would heartily recommend trying full auto 22 before buying.  All full auto 22 options are not going to be as reliable as centerfire.  Every machinegun owner at some time lusts for a 22 conversion.  I personally own two machineguns with 22 conversions.  My opinion is that full auto 22 is overrated and truthfully shooting full auto 22 is fucking boring.  Sure its fun briefly for the humor of it all but it lacks that recoil and noise that truly makes a machinegun fun.  

I already have an HK91 with a 22 kit. The problem with it is that it is so dang heavy. It’s like having a full sized battle rifle that shoots 22. I’d like to find one of the 53/93 kits but those are super rare. Maybe I’ll just hold off and get Uzi instead.

If you have the HK  .22lr kit, have you thought about getting a PTR 51 host and adapting the  .22lr kit for use with it? It would still be a heavy  .22.  But not anywhere near as heavy as a 91. Just a thought.

Scott

Get a John Norrel trigger pack for a 10/22.  They work great and are a lot of fun.

My AC556 is 99% reliable with a Ciener kit, quality mags, a suppressor, and Remington Goldens. The majority of the failures are common .22 problems; bad ammo, dirt/crud, etc.

I've been told it's the most fun you can have with your pants on.

Video is about 15 years old, filmed with a potato: